


The Start of Something (That Started Long Ago)

by delighted



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: AU Hayes Lives, Developing Friendships, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 04:27:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6104887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delighted/pseuds/delighted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hayes and Reed begin to get along... how well they do is maybe more a relief than a shock.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Start of Something (That Started Long Ago)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eireann](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eireann/gifts).



> Hayes-lives AU, set after the shore leave on earth following the end of the Xindi mission, and exploring the developing friendship between Malcolm and Hayes.
> 
> This is technically the third part, a follow up to “Home for the Holidays” and “A Single White Rose.” But, this one you could probably read without the other two, as long as you’re on board with the possibility of Hayes and Reed getting along-- there’s just a little back-story you won’t have.
> 
> For E (from whom I borrowed the spelling of Malcolm's title), in place of taking her for Welsh Cakes and tea with lots of cream on St David’s Day (though, to be honest, I would have preferred that)... and just because she’s wonderful, and her current story is amazing, and because I write too much in a fandom she doesn’t know, and she gets irritated that I don’t write EntFic more. :-)

The first thing that happened was that they started eating together. It was, ostensibly, so they could have their meetings then, and not waste time on them when they could be doing other, more productive things. No one who knew either of them was the least bit surprised at that push for productivity. Frankly, the whole ship was damn well relieved they’d finally called a truce and were deciding to get along. Because, it didn’t take long for everyone who worked with either of them to see—what they’d known all along anyway—that when Lieutenant Reed and Major Hayes worked together... well. It was one of those things that was actually a joy to watch. As much as (considering that when this was in evidence it often involved the loss of hostile alien life) such a thing could be. They anticipated each other amazingly well. It was as if each knew what the other was going to think before the thought had fully formed. They worked together seamlessly, in the way that only people who can truly read each other can. And, maybe Hoshi was the only one who saw how remarkable it was, but they essentially had their own language. Not just reading each other’s body language and anticipating moves, but almost like coded phrases, references.... Hoshi had started to, unintentionally—it was just how her mind was wired—examine it, but she quickly stopped herself because it felt like she was intruding on some secret world. She loved to watch them, though, because they communicated so well, and she found it beautiful.

The second thing that happened was that they started training together. Well, in a positive, helpful way as opposed to a negative, hurtful way. No one was shocked at that, certainly. It only made sense—they could, as nearer equals, be freer with each other in training than they could by rights be with any of their subordinates. It became a familiar sight to see the two of them out for a jog on one of the decks, during their off time. They pushed each other to be better, but in a good way now. And again, most of the crew were simply relieved. Especially, as it turned out, because when Hayes and Reed pushed each other, they tended to be not quite so harsh on their underlings—which was something both the MACOs and the Armory staff appreciated. Not that any of them took it as an opportunity to loaf. Quite the contrary, actually. They began to work better together as well, and if either of their fearless leaders noticed, they didn’t say anything about it.

The third thing that happened, and maybe it was simply an extension of the other two, maybe it was slightly different, but they started spending leisure time together. It started, or so it had seemed to those on the ship who were paying attention to the blossoming friendship, with a movie night. Trip had chosen a twentieth century American jungle warfare film that Hayes insisted Malcolm would find fascinating. They’d sat in the back and discussed tactics and strategies. They’d been shushed fourteen times, and Trip had sworn to never show another war movie. But the next time he showed an action film, Hayes and Malcolm were there, in the back row again, whispering criticisms over the realism. And the same with the next science fiction film. Very quickly they developed a bit of a reputation as film critics. Well. Battle techniques critics, at least. (They may have taken to watching movies in Hayes’ quarters after one too many complaints. After all, that way, they could pause and argue for as long as they liked about whether the correct strategy had been utilized or not. Or, so the rumors went.)

What wasn’t so readily noticeable to the casual observer were the slightly hidden changes. They’d started hanging out in each other’s quarters more regularly. For meetings and official reasons, but for more private reasons as well. Neither of them was especially predisposed to fraternizing with their subordinates. It just wasn’t done—they were both raised in military families, after all, and there were expectations that must be met. So, it was to some degree natural that they seek out each other’s company when it came time for a quiet drink or an easy evening conversation. Natural, except that they had so studiously avoided anything like it for the first part of their acquaintance. So, perhaps it all seemed natural now. But the comparison had to have been striking.

What not even the most studious observer had any chance of being aware of was the root of their somewhat sudden sense of camaraderie. Probably the simple timing of it had a whole lot to do with that. Naturally, after the destruction of the Xindi weapon, and after Hayes nearly died saving Hoshi, and after everything from that whole great big time-out-of-mind experience the Expanse had been.... Frankly, after that, not much would have been completely shocking. So, the fact that their relationship shifted utterly following shore leave wouldn’t have been outrageous, even if anyone had thought to look closely at it. _Why_ it shifted might have been... a source of fascination... to several people at the very least, but that was never going to become public knowledge if either man had anything to do with it, and the only two people on the ship who would have had the wherewithal to have figured it out were Malcolm and the Major.

All anyone noticed was that the two men who should have been, above all others, the best of friends, had suddenly seemed to realize it.     

They did have their moments of being amused by the general level of acceptance with which their new relationship was accepted. The only person who had said anything directly to Malcolm about it had, of course, been Trip. He had confronted Malcolm about it just once, during one of their rare moments together shortly after shore leave had been over and Malcolm’s complete change of attitude towards the Major had been crystal clear.

“So,” Trip had begun, once he had Malcolm cornered in a deserted corridor where the two were working on some upgrades. “You and the Major seem to be gettin’ along well.”

“Mmmm,” Malcolm had replied, and well, Trip hadn’t asked a question, so....

Trip had stopped his work and turned to face Malcolm, with that expression he seemed to reserve for the stormy-eyed Brit. “Really? That’s all yer gonna give me?” Malcolm’s only response had been to continue his work. “Come on, Malcolm. You two fight like cats and dogs from the get go, and all of a sudden you’re thick as thieves. You gotta give me somethin'.”

Malcolm had fixed those steely eyes on Trip, who’d tried not to flinch at their intensity. “He nearly died saving Hoshi,” he’d said softly. As though that itself had been enough, and Trip should have known it. In answer, Trip had squinted at Malcolm, as if he could see if there were truly more, shrugged and continued with his work.

“Ok, Loo-tenant, whatever you say.”

And it was probably good that the entire ship seemed to accept the new camaraderie between the men with perfect comfort, because, the thing was, there were times they found themselves slightly unnerved by it.

One night, after a bit of a rough day—one where both they’d both been exasperated by the Captain’s willingness to throw himself headlong into dangerous situations, a tendency which seemed only to have worsened in the time following the Xindi crisis—they indulged perhaps a little too much from Hayes’s favorite bottle, and found themselves musing over just why they got along so well.

“I feel like I’ve known you forever,” Malcolm rather slurred, and gee, that was embarrassing.

Hayes laughed at that. “Well, from my perspective, I practically have.”

Malcolm turned to him with a puzzled expression.

“Do you know, the first time I heard about one of your exploits from Holly, I was still at West Point?”

Malcolm groaned. “Gee, thanks.”

Hayes got up to refill their glasses. “I’m just pointing out, I was hearing about you (not knowing who you were, of course), from before my career even started. I always counted you as an influence.”

Malcolm held his glass out, and looked thoughtfully into Hayes’s green eyes, as he met them, once their glasses were refilled. “You really mean that?” He asked, softly.

Hayes tilted his head, then went to set the bottle back on his desk. “Surely Holly’s said as much.”

Shaking his head bemusedly, Malcolm whispered, “No, no, she hasn’t.”

“Huh,” Hayes responded, with a smile. “Well, maybe she didn’t want to let slip just how much she talked about you,” and yes, that tone was a teasing one. He recognized it from Holly, and it made Malcolm blush. “She used to regale me with (carefully edited, of course) stories of you, almost as though she was holding you out as a role model.”

“Of what _not_ to do, I hope,” Malcolm scoffed.

Hayes sighed. “No, of how to retain your humanity, despite it all. That’s always been her biggest concern, you know.”

Malcolm found himself needing to swallow. “I always felt I did a rather poor job of that.”

“I know.” And the tone was a new one, and it reminded Malcolm so much of Holly, he felt a jolt. And, fortunately, Hayes’s knowledge of Malcolm extended to knowing that had been too much, because he swiftly changed the subject. “So, are we going to brave the movie tomorrow night? Commander Tucker’s keeping it a secret, but has hinted that I’d enjoy it.”

“He’s said the same to me,” Malcolm replied, thoughtfully.

“Well, then, I guess we’d better go,” Hayes said, and he laughed, but Malcolm had an odd sensation in his belly about the Engineer’s reasoning.

“Yeah, we’d better,” Malcolm mused. “I think the ranks are starting to get overly imaginative with our supposed reclusive tendencies.”

And with that, they finished their drinks, and Malcolm headed back to his cabin.

*

Leave it to Trip Tucker to decide to show a Bond movie.

Malcolm looked uneasily over at Hayes, to gauge how he was reacting to this discovery, and the look on his face was... well. First of all, Malcolm felt so clearly that he was looking into Holly’s eyes, the way her cousin’s equally green ones were sparking and dancing and downright mischievous. But there was something else there, something Malcolm knew he wasn’t going to get out of him, something gleeful and delighted.

“I’m guessing you won’t tell me, even if I ask, Major?” Malcolm whispered to the MACO once they’d selected seats (in the back, of course, in case they did rather whisper commentary).

Hayes actually bit his lip. Attempting, clearly, to cover a smirk.

Malcolm decided that chances were just that Hayes knew Malcolm’s connection to the infamous Bond was a bit closer than anyone else on the ship would have known. But he couldn’t shake his suspicion that there was more to it than that.

Fortunately, the movie started shortly thereafter, and they both got into it. Anyone who paid attention to such things might have been something bordering on suspicious that the two well-known commentators and callers out of improbable things related to action movies and all such genres sat so well-behavedly and nearly silently for the entire film. Of course, it was possible that if such a person noticed, they might have brushed it off as the boys having been scolded once too often by their superior officer about “ruinin’ movie night,” and had somehow miraculously developed the ability to hold their commentary in. Someone _might_ have thought that. However, someone _very_ observant might have gone on to notice their body language. Such a person might have been fascinated with what she saw. 

*

“Ok, Major,” Malcolm began, posture stiff, tone formal, once Hayes had poured their drinks, but before taking a sip. “Out with it.” Hayes was too polite to take a sip before Malcolm did. He set his glass down, and laughed lightly.

“Remember how Holly likes to give everyone pet names?” Hayes began, waiting for Malcolm to respond.

“Yes,” Malcolm replied, and maybe he was already seeing where this was going.

“She never told you yours, did she?” The smile on Hayes’s lips was so teasing, so cheeky.

“No, Major, she didn’t.” And if Malcolm was playing up the rank thing, Hayes knew he was doing so playfully.

“Well. It might,” he licked his lips, “have had something to do with a certain MI6 agent....” And he trailed off.

“She didn’t,” Malcolm practically groaned. “007?” He asked.

Hayes shook his head.

“Dear God, Bond?”

Hayes smiled warmly. “No, just James. Actually, it took me a while to catch on. Until she said it with just the right tone....”

And Malcolm let out a laugh at that, part embarrassed, part fond, and part—in all honestly—secretly delighted. He hid the blush by taking a drink. They sat down on the bed.

“Even before Holly said anything,” Hayes said, after he’d had a sip of the whiskey, “I’d started drawing connections from you to Fleming as well as Bond. Naval intelligence, MI6, covert ops, a certain lifestyle...” Hayes bloody _winked_ at Malcolm on that last bit, but then he continued. “It’s an easy connection to make, and I was obsessed with 007 as a kid. I’d even written a paper in high school about Fleming. I think I paired you with him, if not Bond himself, from almost the beginning of Holly telling me about you.”

Malcolm smiled. “Well, I’m flattered, obviously. Fleming’s career was something of an inspiration to me, if only because he made something out of things that had been considered by most to be his weaknesses.” Hayes nodded knowingly, and Malcolm suspected Holly might have said as much. “I have a bit of a soft spot for men who are able to turn their critics into believers.” And Hayes raised his glass at that.

“Me, too,” he said softly.

Malcolm sighed and leaned back, not for the first time finding he slipped rather easily into his “with Holly” mode when he was alone with Hayes. And he would even almost admit, to himself at least, that it was good for him to be able to do that. Holly had always connected two otherwise disparate facets of his life in a way that had been comforting and healing. Hayes was beginning to serve a similar function, and Malcolm couldn’t help but find that fact incredibly soothing if somewhat disquieting. But it was nice to be able to be at peace with himself here on _Enterprise_  in a way he’d not really been before, and for that he was more grateful than he could possibly say.

**Author's Note:**

> To E: For the record, I had Holly's pet name for Malcolm picked out from the very beginning of "Single White Rose," and I’d written the bit about movie night before our little Bond conversation. I just edited it to be a Bond movie, and it all worked out splendidly from there!
> 
> Also, side note for Bond fans: The miniseries “Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond” is fantastic, and worth a watch if you’re at all interested in the, ahh, "development"... of a secret agent...... ;-)


End file.
